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| MMA fighter Conor McGregor raped woman at Dublin hotel, jury finds in civil trial | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| McGregor ordered to pay nearly €250,000 in damages to Nikita Hand after he was accused of 2018 assault | |
| A jury at a civil trial at Ireland’s high court has found that the Irish martial arts fighter Conor McGregor assaulted a woman who had accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018. | A jury at a civil trial at Ireland’s high court has found that the Irish martial arts fighter Conor McGregor assaulted a woman who had accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018. |
| McGregor was ordered pay nearly €250,000 (£210,000) in damages to Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ní Laimhín. | McGregor was ordered pay nearly €250,000 (£210,000) in damages to Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ní Laimhín. |
| Lawyers for Hand had accused 36-year-old McGregor of brutally raping and battering her after she invited him to join her and a friend at a work Christmas party in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin in December 2018. | Lawyers for Hand had accused 36-year-old McGregor of brutally raping and battering her after she invited him to join her and a friend at a work Christmas party in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin in December 2018. |
| Hand also alleged that another man, James Lawrence, who joined the party, sexually assaulted her. The jury found that Lawrence did not assault Hand. | Hand also alleged that another man, James Lawrence, who joined the party, sexually assaulted her. The jury found that Lawrence did not assault Hand. |
| Speaking outside the court after the verdict, Hand, 35, told reporters that she was “overwhelmed” by the support she had received. She thanked her family and a staff member from a rape crisis centre who had sat beside her throughout “this entire period”, including the two-week trial. | Speaking outside the court after the verdict, Hand, 35, told reporters that she was “overwhelmed” by the support she had received. She thanked her family and a staff member from a rape crisis centre who had sat beside her throughout “this entire period”, including the two-week trial. |
| “I want to show [her daughter] Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person, is and justice will be served,” Hand said. | “I want to show [her daughter] Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person, is and justice will be served,” Hand said. |
| “To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice.” | “To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice.” |
| She added that she hoped to rebuild her life now that the six-year ordeal was over. | She added that she hoped to rebuild her life now that the six-year ordeal was over. |
| Hand, who grew up in the same area of Dublin as McGregor, took the civil court case primarily to be vindicated, her barrister had told the court, after the director of public prosecutions decided not to pursue a criminal case on the grounds that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction. | Hand, who grew up in the same area of Dublin as McGregor, took the civil court case primarily to be vindicated, her barrister had told the court, after the director of public prosecutions decided not to pursue a criminal case on the grounds that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction. |
| McGregor doubled over with his head in his hands and shook his head as the jury returned their verdict and awarded Hand damages of €248,603. | McGregor doubled over with his head in his hands and shook his head as the jury returned their verdict and awarded Hand damages of €248,603. |
| There were tense scenes in court as McGregor arrived with a large supporter and family contingent including his partner, Dee Devlin, his mother, Margaret McGregor, and sister Aoife McGregor, along with his boxing coach, Philip Sutcliffe, standing at the back just feet away from Hand. | There were tense scenes in court as McGregor arrived with a large supporter and family contingent including his partner, Dee Devlin, his mother, Margaret McGregor, and sister Aoife McGregor, along with his boxing coach, Philip Sutcliffe, standing at the back just feet away from Hand. |
| McGregor had denied the allegations, saying that he had “fully consensual sex” with Hand. He also denied causing bruising to her. He told the court that Hand’s accusations against him were “full of lies” verging on “fantasy”. | McGregor had denied the allegations, saying that he had “fully consensual sex” with Hand. He also denied causing bruising to her. He told the court that Hand’s accusations against him were “full of lies” verging on “fantasy”. |
| Hand had told the court that she and a friend made contact with McGregor, whom she knew, after a work Christmas party. She said they were driven by McGregor to a party in a penthouse room of a south Dublin hotel, where drugs and alcohol were consumed. She said McGregor took her to a bedroom in the penthouse and sexually assaulted her. Hand’s lawyer, John Gordon, said Hand was on antidepressants and “full of drugs” at the time of the alleged assault. | Hand had told the court that she and a friend made contact with McGregor, whom she knew, after a work Christmas party. She said they were driven by McGregor to a party in a penthouse room of a south Dublin hotel, where drugs and alcohol were consumed. She said McGregor took her to a bedroom in the penthouse and sexually assaulted her. Hand’s lawyer, John Gordon, said Hand was on antidepressants and “full of drugs” at the time of the alleged assault. |
| The verdict is likely to renew questions about the difficulty in bringing rape cases to court. Hand’s barrister told the court this week that whatever the outcome she would “always be a marked woman” because she had the “courage” to stand up to the fighter. | The verdict is likely to renew questions about the difficulty in bringing rape cases to court. Hand’s barrister told the court this week that whatever the outcome she would “always be a marked woman” because she had the “courage” to stand up to the fighter. |
| Hand had told the jury that she was “absolutely devastated and let down” when the director of public prosecutions told her they would not be progressing her file. | Hand had told the jury that she was “absolutely devastated and let down” when the director of public prosecutions told her they would not be progressing her file. |
| Over the two weeks of the trial, the jury heard harrowing accounts of the incident including a 45-minute recording of a conversation in which a deeply distressed Hand told her then boyfriend about the alleged rape. | Over the two weeks of the trial, the jury heard harrowing accounts of the incident including a 45-minute recording of a conversation in which a deeply distressed Hand told her then boyfriend about the alleged rape. |
| The court heard Hand saying McGregor had pinned her down on the bed with all his body weight, and claiming he had put her head in a headlock, mock-choking her three times in a “terrifying” episode. | The court heard Hand saying McGregor had pinned her down on the bed with all his body weight, and claiming he had put her head in a headlock, mock-choking her three times in a “terrifying” episode. |